Physicians Practice - February 2008 - (Page 55)

each company? We are also having problems getting out of a contract with our current company. Their contract automatically renewed; we didn’t realize that would happen. A Well, it’s sure worthwhile to talk to their customers. I’d ask for data on average days-in-A/R, percent denials, and percent net collections for all their practices. Also, pry into how well their billing company will communicate back to your practice. Speciﬁcally, you need to know reasons for denials, so that if there are problems on your end (e.g., poor registration, poor copay collection) you can ﬁx those problems. You need to know what the billing companies are ﬁnding out. They can’t ﬁx the entire billing process from their end. Look into the prices, including your costs to switch technologies and their regular cut. On the automatic renewal: You might be stuck, but look for an out in the contract language, either regarding the automatic renewal or a decision to change vendors. You can also just have a frank conversation with them that you found it unfair, that you don’t want to work with them, and that it's in their best interest not to hold onto an unhappy client, so what can they suggest to make everyone happy? You may end up paying them something. AFTER-HOURS VISITS to market myself. I will continue to need accommodations such as no night call and limited weekend duty. I would consider doing nonclinical work for an insurance or drug company. I love clinical practice above all else, but I recognize that most employers don’t want docs who can’t do a lot of hours or nights. Private practice is not an option; I have no money to invest and I almost went broke doing it the first time. A That is a heartbreaking story. But many practices are becoming more accepting of part-time physicians, largely thanks to an inﬂux of female physicians who insist on it while they need to mother. If you indeed feel that you want to continue to practice in the clinical setting, I’d consider contacting some of the larger physician recruiting ﬁrms, such as Merritt Hawkins or Cejka Search. Tell them your story, and see what they can come up with. Generally, they are happy to hear from physicians looking for work. They get paid by the hiring company. You may in the meantime want to look into what it will take to get your license reactivated and board certiﬁcation renewed. If the recruitment ﬁrms can’t come up with anything, you can look at the math of opening a very small, part-time practice of your own. The key to making it work would be to have virtually no overhead. You could sublet a small space, greet and schedule patients yourself, and outsource billing. After that, I’d do a sort of selfanalysis. If the clinical work isn’t going to happen, assess what parts of it, what skills, what interactions you like best. Can you ﬁnd those in other settings? If you like to work quietly, look into acting as an editor of journals or Web sites in your ﬁeld. You could work for your specialty society. Heck, if what you really like is helping people, you could be a private school teacher, if your condition allows. Or you might ﬁnd Q I’d like some information on billing for after-hours visits. Our physician came in on a Sunday and saw three people, and we aren’t sure what codes we can bill and what the likelihood of getting paid anything additional would be. A See code 99050 in your CPT manual, which you could report in addition to an E&M. Whether you’d get more payment is a payer-dependent issue. THINKING ABOUT NEW WAYS TO PRACTICE Q I have been unable to practice for several years due to a rare disease. My health is stabilized to the point where I might work 20 to 30 hours a week now, but I have no idea how or where WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM FEBRUARY 2008 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | 55 http://www.merage.uci.edu http://www.merage.uci.edu http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Physicians Practice - February 2008

Physicians Practice - February 2008 Contents The Bigger Picture: Your Future is in Your Hands Letters Physicians Practice Pearls: Creating an A+ Practice Noteworthy Cover Story: Conquering Time: 5 Keys to a More Efficient Practice In Balance: A Family Affair Technology: Making EMRs Work in the Exam Room In Practice: "I've Got Some Bad News" The Tech Doctor - The EMR: Savior or Poseur? Ask the Experts NEW! Healthonomics: How to Handle Health Savings Accounts The Administrator's Desk: Finishing School for New Managers Human Resources: Is Your Partner Impaired The Great Practice Makeover: Too Well-Liked for His Own Good? Coding Idealab: 'Why I Blog' Classifieds Advertiser Index

Physicians Practice - February 2008

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